The number of people using food banks in P.E.I. is up.
Food Banks Canada Hunger Counts report highlighted a 16.7 per cent increase on average in P.E.I., with a 33 per cent increase at rural food banks in 2018.
Food Banks Canada derives the figures with reporting from their network of over 600 food banks and 3,000 food-related organizations helping more than 850,000 Canadians in communities across the country each month.
The P.E.I. Food Exchange has been working to address the growing instance of food insecurity across the province.
The updated Food Banks Canada Hunger Counts reporting for 2019 will be released in the coming weeks.
In light of this trend across P.E.I. and Canada, Subway rolled out the Never Miss Lunch program to support children experiencing food insecurity.
From Nov. 3-10, guests rounded up their purchase and donated to Food Banks Canada in conjunction with Subway Canada’s Never Miss Lunch program. For every KIDS’ PAK kids meal sold, 15 cents will continue to be donated to Food Banks Canada’s After the Bell program with a minimum contribution of $325,000 to Food Banks Canada.
Donations from Subway Canada will go towards increasing the amount of fresh food that children receive. Never Miss Lunch and After the Bell provide nutritious, child-friendly foods that meet their unique nutritional requirements in the summer months when school lunch programs are on hiatus.
